Best Exercises For 6 Packs

Spoiler Alert: Crunches and situps are not the secret to six-pack abs. In fact, repetitive or excessive spinal flexion (e.g., bending your chest toward your knees at the back) is just about "the worst thing you can do for your back," says David Larson, C.S.C.S., a strength coach at Pulse Fitness in Scottsdale, AZ. In addition to swapping crunches for some more complex moves (detailed below), proper diet is essential for carving out that six-pack—just ask any fitness model or strength coach. But here are six key exercises to get you started on making your abs the best they’ve ever been.

Grab a fairly light-weight medicine ball and hold it up above your head (a). Keeping your torso totally upright with good posture, throw the medicine ball directly downward at the ground as hard as you can (b). Just be careful: Some bounce back!

Sets: 3 Reps: 20 Rest: 60 seconds between sets

3. Ab Wheel Rollout

Kneel on the floor with your knees directly under your hips and your hands directly under your shoulders holding the handles of an ab wheel. Slowly push your hips forward and roll the ab wheel out, keeping your back flat and allowing your arms to extend in front of your body (a). As soon as it feels like you can’t roll anymore without the risk of falling, push your palms toward the floor, simultaneously squeezing your abs and pushing your hips back toward the start position until you reach it (b).

Sets: 4 Reps: To failure Rest: 90 seconds between sets

4. Pallof Press

Attach a D-handle to a cable cross machine and adjust the pulley to chest height (a resistance band around a pole works, too). Stand about two feet away from the machine and pull the handle to your chest (a). If your right shoulder is closest to the machine, your right hand should hold the handle and your left should be more of a guide. While bracing your core, push the handle straight out, so the handle stays directly in front of your chest (b). Slowly return the handle to your chest (c).

Sets: 4 Reps: 10 on each side Rest: 60 seconds between sets

5. Barbell Landmine

Wedge one end of a barbell in the corner of two walls. Lift the barbell up by the other end and hold it on your chest (a). Next, press the barbell directly out from your chest with both hands, fingers laced (b). Keeping your arms straight, rotate from your shoulders to one side, then to the other. Return to the start position (c).

Sets: 3 Reps: 10 on each side Rest: 120 seconds between sets

6. The Pendulum

Lie on the floor flat on your back and raise your legs until you have a 90-degree bend at the hips. Keeping your legs straight, lower them to the right, allowing them to come almost all the way to the floor (a). Return the legs to the upright position and then lower them to the left (b). Repeat in this fashion until all prescribed reps are performed.

Spoiler Alert: Crunches and situps are not the secret to six-pack abs. In fact, repetitive or excessive spinal flexion (e.g., bending your chest toward your knees at the back) is just about "the worst thing you can do for your back," says David Larson, C.S.C.S., a strength coach at Pulse Fitness in Scottsdale, AZ. In addition to swapping crunches for some more complex moves (detailed below), proper diet is essential for carving out that six-pack—just ask any fitness model or strength coach. But here are six key exercises to get you started on making your abs the best they’ve ever been.

Grab a fairly light-weight medicine ball and hold it up above your head (a). Keeping your torso totally upright with good posture, throw the medicine ball directly downward at the ground as hard as you can (b). Just be careful: Some bounce back!

Sets: 3 Reps: 20 Rest: 60 seconds between sets

3. Ab Wheel Rollout

Kneel on the floor with your knees directly under your hips and your hands directly under your shoulders holding the handles of an ab wheel. Slowly push your hips forward and roll the ab wheel out, keeping your back flat and allowing your arms to extend in front of your body (a). As soon as it feels like you can’t roll anymore without the risk of falling, push your palms toward the floor, simultaneously squeezing your abs and pushing your hips back toward the start position until you reach it (b).

Sets: 4 Reps: To failure Rest: 90 seconds between sets

4. Pallof Press

Attach a D-handle to a cable cross machine and adjust the pulley to chest height (a resistance band around a pole works, too). Stand about two feet away from the machine and pull the handle to your chest (a). If your right shoulder is closest to the machine, your right hand should hold the handle and your left should be more of a guide. While bracing your core, push the handle straight out, so the handle stays directly in front of your chest (b). Slowly return the handle to your chest (c).

Sets: 4 Reps: 10 on each side Rest: 60 seconds between sets

5. Barbell Landmine

Wedge one end of a barbell in the corner of two walls. Lift the barbell up by the other end and hold it on your chest (a). Next, press the barbell directly out from your chest with both hands, fingers laced (b). Keeping your arms straight, rotate from your shoulders to one side, then to the other. Return to the start position (c).

Sets: 3 Reps: 10 on each side Rest: 120 seconds between sets

6. The Pendulum

Lie on the floor flat on your back and raise your legs until you have a 90-degree bend at the hips. Keeping your legs straight, lower them to the right, allowing them to come almost all the way to the floor (a). Return the legs to the upright position and then lower them to the left (b). Repeat in this fashion until all prescribed reps are performed.

Everyone is so quick to say diet, which isn't wrong per se, but the abdominal muscles are capable of hypertrophy just as any skeletal muscle is. There's no harm in discussing exercises to target those muscles. I like a good mix of direct movements like flexion as well as anti exercises like roll outs and pallof presses

Everyone is so quick to say diet, which isn't wrong per se, but the abdominal muscles are capable of hypertrophy just as any skeletal muscle is. There's no harm in discussing exercises to target those muscles. I like a good mix of direct movements like flexion as well as anti exercises like roll outs and pallof presses

I'm willing to bet ab workouts contribute to shape and development but actual size I would imagine comes from using them in core lifts such as bench, bent over rows, squats (deep) & dead-lifts. There are others, too. Like doing DB pull-overs or machine vertical pull-overs at the end of a back routine...

I haven't done diddly crap for abs and mine are much bigger just from packing on 12lbs of mass recently and increasing my squat lifts by 50lbs or more..

I'm willing to bet ab workouts contribute to shape and development but actual size I would imagine comes from using them in core lifts such as bench, bent over rows, squats (deep) & dead-lifts. There are others, too. Like doing DB pull-overs or machine vertical pull-overs at the end of a back routine...

I haven't done diddly crap for abs and mine are much bigger just from packing on 12lbs of mass recently and increasing my squat lifts by 50lbs or more..

I tend to disagree only because in the big lifts they work, predominantly, isometrically. I'm not discounting the importance of that in their development of both size and strength, however. Simply, I think as a figure or bb competitor or anyone who will depend on their appearance, they should be trained through their range of motion w resistance.

[QUOTE=tigerdb2;4195356]I tend to disagree only because in the big lifts they work, predominantly, isometrically. I'm not discounting the importance of that in their development of both size and strength, however. Simply, I think as a figure or bb competitor or anyone who will depend on their appearance, they should be trained through their range of motion w resistance.[/QUOTE]

Oh I certainly agree to that (referencing the bold), but I was just eluding to not really concerning myself with them in the off season but only hitting them 2-3 times per week when I start cutting down and getting ready for pre-comp.